


Everything Stays

by Cyane



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor Deserves Happiness, Everyone Needs A Hug, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, One Shot, Protective Hank Anderson, Short & Sweet, Suicidal Thoughts, this really isn't slash at all but if you want to read it that way I can't stop you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 20:26:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15714480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyane/pseuds/Cyane
Summary: An extended hug scene.





	Everything Stays

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh I know I'm late to Connor's birthday but I have like 5-6 drafts completely Connor!Centric in my bin and I'm working super hard to get them rolling out. Thanks for all the love on my past two D:BH fics!
> 
> This is just a lil short and sweet drabble I wrote. If you like it, please drop some kudos or comments :D They seriously mean the world to me!

Hank didn't think there was anything else in the world as beautiful as Connor's smile. 

Not that shitty fake one he used for manipulations or investigations, not the one he had worn sarcastically... just a real smile. Genuine. And gut-wrenchingly human, to the point where Hank tucked Connor's head in his shoulder just so the android wouldn't see him getting all sappy and emotional.

It only took a second for Connor to reciprocate, hesitantly bringing his arms around Hank and hugging back.

"It's good to see you, kid," Hank murmured. The hands around him tightened but Connor said nothing. "How are you holding up, huh? Are you okay?"

There was still no response. Hank frowned and tried to pull away a bit, if just to get a look at Connor's expression or LED to get an idea of what he was thinking. But Connor didn't let go, his head invisible in the crook of Hank's arm.

"Connor?" Hank asked again, more concern leaking into his voice.

A muffled, choked sob was the response.

Hank's eyes flew open and he forcefully pulled away, keeping his hands reassuringly on Connor's arms. When he saw Connor's face, he felt his heart break. The android had immediately brought both hands up to try and cover his face, but Hank could easily see the shimmering tear tracks against the synthetic skin. Connor's entire body was racked with silent sobs, and his LED was flickering a rapid yellow, barely tinged with red.

"Hey," Hank soothed, fighting down the stinging in his own eyes. "Hey, Connor, it's okay. It's okay, now."

"Sorry," Connor blurted out wetly. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I... my programs m-must..."

Hank rolled his eyes and pulled Connor forward again, practically crushing him in another hug. _God, it's so nice to hold you. To know that you're alive._ And damn it he didn't want to cry, but the thought of losing another so-

Of losing... someone else.

"Fuck the programs. You're deviant now, right?"

If anything, that just seemed to make Connor shake even more. Another slow, drawn out half-sob, half-sigh ripped out from him and Connor clung to Hank's jacket. "Y-yes. I tried to bring M-Markus in, but..."

"But you deviated instead." Thinking that he might be worried about the implications, Hank smiled. "That's okay, Connor. You know that? That's fucking great."

"But they still _own_ me!" Connor burst out, voice breaking into a bit of static in the middle. "H-Hank, Cyberlife planned my deviancy!"

"What?" Hank looked down at the kid. His eyes were shiny and red rimmed and that shouldn't even be _possible_. 

"It was planned from the beginning," Connor sobbed, releasing Hank's jacket to put his hands against his forehead again. "They resumed control of my programming, and I almost shot Markus during his speech. I almost _killed_ Markus. After everything, I'm still..."

 _Those motherfuckers,_ Hank snarled inwardly. "But you didn't, did you? They don't own you anymore, Connor. You're free, now."

Connor shook his head viciously. "I can't be sure of that. I can't go with Markus and the rest of Jericho, now, Lieutenant. You must understand. I won't risk ruining everything now. I believe that my AI supervisor, Amanda, is no longer connected to Cyberlife. After I turned deviant, Cyberlife's coding could no longer work, but Amanda was cut off as well. Now that their plan for me to assassinate Markus has gone awry, and they can longer control me, I doubt Cyberlife can do much else. But I have no real way of knowing if _Amanda_ can still take control in an attempt to finish her mission."

Hank wasn't sure where this was going. "So... what?"

"So my plan is to return to Cyberlife for deactivation."

For a second, Hank was sure that he stopped breathing entirely.

"...What the _fuck_ , Connor." At Connor's placating gesture, Hank's ire only grew. "No- no, shut the fuck up. What the absolute _fuck_ , Connor. Are you fucking serious?!"

"As long as Amanda is with me, I am a threat!" Connor snapped back, although tears were still leaking out of his eyes.

"But you don't even know if Amanda is with you! You're doing all of this on a whim!"

"I am a prototype, Lieutenant. Technically that means I am still the property of Cyberlife and Elijah Kamski; I have a patent and I am unsure if the new android laws will be applicable to me. As it is such I do not doubt that if I return to Cyberlife, I will be deactivated and disassembled."

Hank was seething, vision practically whiting out with rage. "Connor, you fucking idiot. They'll _kill_ you."

Connor's face softened. "I don't want to hurt Markus. Or _you_."

"Jesus Christ. Hell no, you aren't going back to that shithole. I'm not letting you. You can come back home with me, and once I'm reinstated, I'll have Fowler put you back on the force as an offical officer, okay? We'll figure things out."

"Home?" Connor asked.

Hank felt the tears come anyway. "...Fuck, Connor. You didn't think that I'd just leave you out on your own, did you? You can stay with me and Sumo."

It made Hank's chest hurt, to see the kid so openly hopeful and unsure. Like Connor had never even considered it as an option. Like, just maybe, Connor planned to go back to the Cyberlife plant for deactivation because he had _nowhere else to go._

"...I wouldn't want to inconvenience you, Lieutenant."

"Don't give me that shit. I want you to stay."

There were a few long seconds of silence and Hank was sure that he could hear the snowflakes falling around them.

Connor's face broke. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. "I'm feeling... _everything_."

"Like I said, we're going to figure it out." Hank clasped Connor's hands in his own. "Hear me? Whatever happens, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. But damn it, Connor, you aren't just a machine and now the whole damn country knows it. Cyberlife isn't going to start handing out new models, or re-uploading your memory, so you've gotta be careful with your own life, understood? I'm supposed to be the suicidal one, here."

The tired smile he got in return was worth the stupid sentiment. 

"Let's go home, Connor."

**Author's Note:**

> :-)
> 
> I realize this might be a little OOC but I love the idea of Connor just having so many breakdowns after deviating because he's been holding in all this shit for his entire life. Poor bb.


End file.
